Apparatus for opening oysters



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.'

WALDBEN BEACH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

APPARATUS FOR OPENING OYSTERS.

Specieation forming part of Letters Patent No. 18,273, dated September 29, 1857.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, W. BEACH, of the city and county of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oyster-Openin g Apparatus; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming4 part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line m x.

Similar characters of reference in the several igures denote the same parts.

The nature of my invention consists in the employment of a sliding bar having a lip on itsupper end, and has at its lower extremity a treadle for giving it a downward longitudinal movement, it being made to ascend upon the removal of pressure by the action of a spring. There is also a head-piece or box having an opening through which the lipped bar slides, the upper portion of one side of the opening forming a knife-edge.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, as follows:

In the drawings, A is the frame. B is the headpiece or box, and has an opening, t, through which the lipped bar slides and the broken-off shell passes, the upper portion of one side of the opening forming a knife-edge, f. The box B has the shape shown in drawings.

CV represents the sliding bar, having on its upper end the lip d, and has its other end fastened to the lever or treadle K at e, which is hinged to the frame at g.

h is a spiral spring surrounding the sliding bar and confined between the cups i' and j. The cup i is fastened to the bar, and the cup j to the frame A, and by reason of an opening through which the bar passes acts as a guide for the same. m is a plate attached to the frame, and acts a guide for the bar C.

Ihe operation of the opener is as follows:

The operator will lay the oyster upon box B,

letting such part of the mouth of the oyster extend over the edge f as he shall deem it necessary to remove in order that the knife may be easily inserted for the opening of the shell. By applying the foot to treadle K a downward movement of the sliding bar will be produced, bringing the lip d in contact with the mouth of the oyster, which, by reason of its sharpness, readily cuts on such portion of the shell as is desired, the shell cut off passing down through the opening t into a receptacle prepared for the purpose. By removing the pressure from the treadle the bar C, by reason of the spring, resumes the proper positionv for another operation.

What I claim as my invention7 and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of lipped bar O, treadle K, and spring 7L with the cutting head piece B, constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name before two subscribing witnesses.

WALDREN BEACH.

Witnesses:

J oHN S. HOLLINGSHEAD, JAS. D. GLARY. 

